Lexus Debuts its IS 300 Pace Car at the CART FedEx Championship Season Finale
October 24, 2000 - Torrance, CA - A new CART champion won't be the only thing fans can look forward to seeing this weekend at the Marlboro 500 Presented by Toyota. A race-modified Lexus IS 300 pace car is scheduled to lead the pack at the CART FedEx Championship season finale, Friday Oct 27 through Sunday Oct. 29, at the California Speedway in Fontana, Calif.
Not quite your traditional Lexus, the bright yellow IS 300 has been outfitted with race and safety modifications to handle the special demands of pacing Champ Car races. The pace car features a 5-speed manual transmission and a Toyota Racing Development (TRD) supercharger, which adds 50 horses for a total of 265 horsepower.
Other modifications in the body-building regimen include a roll cage, race-tuned suspension that hugs the track and provides plenty of nimble handling and driver feedback through Eibach racing coil springs and Bilstein shocks. Increased cornering control is achieved with 18" front and 19" rear BBS wheels and Bridgestone Potenzza 225/35ZR/18 tires in the front and 245/35ZR/19 in the rear while Brembo brakes help keep the IS 300 in check.
Read the whole story... http://www.toyota.com/times/press.html
October 24, 2000 - Torrance, CA - A new CART champion won't be the only thing fans can look forward to seeing this weekend at the Marlboro 500 Presented by Toyota. A race-modified Lexus IS 300 pace car is scheduled to lead the pack at the CART FedEx Championship season finale, Friday Oct 27 through Sunday Oct. 29, at the California Speedway in Fontana, Calif.
Not quite your traditional Lexus, the bright yellow IS 300 has been outfitted with race and safety modifications to handle the special demands of pacing Champ Car races. The pace car features a 5-speed manual transmission and a Toyota Racing Development (TRD) supercharger, which adds 50 horses for a total of 265 horsepower.
Other modifications in the body-building regimen include a roll cage, race-tuned suspension that hugs the track and provides plenty of nimble handling and driver feedback through Eibach racing coil springs and Bilstein shocks. Increased cornering control is achieved with 18" front and 19" rear BBS wheels and Bridgestone Potenzza 225/35ZR/18 tires in the front and 245/35ZR/19 in the rear while Brembo brakes help keep the IS 300 in check.
Read the whole story... http://www.toyota.com/times/press.html